An EASY recipe for gluten-free lasagna using barilla gluten free lasagna noodles!
This recipe has a few shortcut ingredients that give it a ton of flavor. It’s a family favorite that nobody will guess is gluten-free!
Be sure to watch the recipe video to see how to make it!
A warm, bubbly lasagna layered with cheese and Bolognese sauce is surely comfort food at it’s finest. For more crowd-pleasers try these recipes for gluten-free enchiladas, gluten-free pizza crust, gluten-free chicken pot pie, gluten-free shepherds pie and gluten-free mac and cheese. You also might like this Instant Pot Lasagna Soup!
This is my Dad’s tried-and-true recipe for lasagna made gluten-free. It’s easy-to-make and the combination of cheeses and sauces creates a delicious, flavorful gluten-free lasagna.
Serve this with gluten-free garlic bread or gluten-free breadsticks! You also might like this dairy-free lasagna!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Once you find gluten-free lasagna sheets, the rest of the ingredients are classic and easy-to-find. Here are a few notes on the key ingredients:
- Gluten-Free Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles: You can fine these widely available these days. No boil noodles are so convenient! My favorite brand is Barilla.
- Hunt’s Tomato Sauce: The combination of sauces is the main trick for this recipe! I like the flavor of Hunt’s tomato sauce and the canned version has enough liquid for the no-bake noodles to soak up enough sauce to cook through while the lasagna bakes. I also like to use a combination of jarred and canned tomato sauce in my go-to gluten-free spaghetti sauce recipe.
- Jarred Tomato Pasta Sauce: I like using a jar of spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce along with the canned tomato sauce for flavor and just a little texture.
- Ground Beef: You can also use ground sausage for more flavor. Be sure to break up the ground beef into very small pieces when you cook it. Nobody wants big chunks of meat in lasagna!
- Ricotta/Cottage Cheese: This is my personal favorite combination of cheeses for lasagna. The cottage cheese ensures the ricotta mixture stays moist and distinct.
Tip: Use a can of tomato sauce along with a jar of spaghetti sauce for the the right amount of moisture for the no-bake noodles to soak up. Pick sauces you like the flavor of as they will flavor the dish.
How to Make Gluten-Free Lasagna
- Set aside one cup of the mozzarella cheese for topping the lasagna later. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining mozzarella and rest of the cheese filling ingredients until combined.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion. Brown the ground beef, breaking into very small chunks as you do. (The smaller the better so there aren’t big chunks of meat in the lasagna.)
- Drain the meat of any excess grease and return to the pan. Add the sauces and mix until heated through.
- Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
How to Layer Gluten-Free Lasagna
Using 5 noodles for the first layer – dip a noodle in the meat sauce and spread the top of the noodle with a layer of sauce. Place in the pan. Dipping/covering each individual noodle with sauce ensures the noodles will cook through.
Repeat with the remaining noodles along the bottom of the dish. You may have to break the 5th noodle in half to fit it along the bottom of the pan. If it breaks no problem, just lay the layer of noodles it in the best you can!
Layer the rest of the gluten-free lasagna as follows:
- Add 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture in dollops across the top of the noodle/sauce layer.
- Spread with a small spatula until smooth.
- Spread a few small spoonfuls of sauce over the cheese layer.
- Dip/cover another 5 noodles and lay them on top of the cheese mixture.
- Add the other 1/2 of the cheese mixture in dollops across the top of the noodle/sauce layer. Spread with a small spatula until smooth.
- Spread a few small spoonfuls of sauce over the cheese layer.
- Dip/cover the remaining 6 noodles in sauce and and lay them on top.
- Spread any remaining sauce over top of the lasagna.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes covered.
- Remove the foil and top with the reserved mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until browned and bubbling.
- Let the lasagna sit for 20 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy!
Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe FAQ
If you buy “oven ready” or “no bake” lasagna sheets there is no need to pre-cook them. I prefer this type of noodle for gluten-free lasagna as the noodle holds up the best!
Gluten-free lasagne sheets are widely available in stores these days. I like to use Barilla Oven-Ready Noodles. Most grocery stores, along with Target and Walmart, carry several brands.
This lasagna can be assembled up to one day in advance. Any longer than that and the noodles will get too soft.
Store any leftover gluten-free lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat individual slices in the microwave.
Yes! The best way to freeze this is by cutting the lasagna into individual portions and freezing it in small containers. You can defrost a portion using the defrost setting of the microwave or overnight in the fridge (then reheating in the microwave).
More Gluten-Free Recipes
- Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs – great to have on hand to add to your favorite dishes
- Gluten-Free Chili – award-winning and full of 2 kinds of meat and delicious spices
- Gluten-Free Pasta Salad – loaded with flavorful ingredients
- Gluten-Free Beef Stew – an all-time favorite that is hearty and comforting
Easy Gluten-Free Lasagna
Video
Ingredients
For the Cheese Mixture:
- 1 16oz bag of shredded mozzarella cheese low-moisture
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- 8 oz cottage cheese small curd
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
For the Sauce/Lasagna:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 white onion finely diced
- 29 oz can Hunt's Tomato Sauce or another canned tomato sauce
- 24-28 oz bottle jarred tomato basil pasta sauce I like the Tomato Basil sauce from Trader Joe's best
- 10 oz Gluten-Free Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles I use Barilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Set aside one cup of the mozzarella cheese for topping the lasagna later. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining mozzarella and rest of the cheese mixture ingredients (mozzarella, ricotta, cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, parsley and pepper) until combined.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion. Brown the ground beef, breaking into very small chunks as you do. (The smaller the better so there aren't big chunks of meat in the lasagna.)
- Drain the meat of any excess grease and return to the pan. Add the sauces and mix until heated through.
- Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Using 5 noodles for the first layer – dip a noodle in the sauce and spread the top of the noodle with a layer of sauce. Place in the pan. Dipping/covering each individual noodle with sauce ensures the noodles will cook through. (See the photos in the post.) Repeat with the remaining noodles. You may have to break the 5th noodle in half to fit it along the bottom of the pan. If it breaks no problem, just layer it in the best you can!
- Layer the rest of the lasagna as follows:Add 1/2 of the cheese mixture in dollops across the top of the noodle/sauce layer. Spread with a small spatula until smooth. Spread a few small spoonfuls of sauce over the cheese layer. Dip/cover another 5 noodles and lay them on top of the cheese mixture. Add the other 1/2 of the cheese mixture in dollops across the top of the noodle/sauce layer. Spread with a small spatula until smooth.Spread a few small spoonfuls of sauce over the cheese layer.Dip/cover the remaining 6 noodles in sauce and and lay them on top. Spread any remaining sauce over top of the lasagna.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes covered. Remove the foil and top with the reserved mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until browned and bubbling.
- Let the lasagna sit for 20 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-Free Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles: You can fine these widely available these days. My favorite brand is Barilla.
- Hunt’s Tomato Sauce: The combination of sauces is the main trick for this recipe! I like the flavor of Hunt’s tomato sauce and the canned version has enough liquid for the no-bake noodles to soak up enough sauce to cook through while the lasagna bakes.
- Jarred Tomato Pasta Sauce: I like using a jar of spaghetti sauce along with the canned tomato sauce for flavor and just a little texture. Pick a sauce you like the flavor of! My personal favorite for this dish is Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil.
- Ground Beef: You can also use ground sausage for more flavor. Be sure to break up the ground beef into very small pieces when you cook it. Nobody wants big chunks of meat in lasagna!
- Ricotta/Cottage Cheese: This is my personal favorite combination of cheeses for lasagna. The cottage cheese ensures the ricotta mixture stays moist and distinct.
Made this for a coworker. Big success, she loved it, good flavor easy to make.
Hi Tammy, so happy to hear that! Thanks for the review!
Would you recommend freezing after baking or putting it together and then freezing to cook later? We would like to take to our relatives so it needs to travel.
Hi Mary, this lasagna can be assembled and frozen unbaked and then baked straight from the freezer at a later time. Make sure to freeze it right after assembling so that the gf noodles don’t have time to soak up too much liquid and turn mushy. We’d suggest if baking from frozen to lower the temperature to 375°F and bake it longer, 60-75 minutes covered, then 20-25 minutes uncovered. We hope everyone enjoys the lasagna!
This lasagna is as DELICIOUS as it is easy to prepare!! The only change I made was sub the cottage cheese for ricotta (I was worried that the cottage cheese I had wasn’t small curd). It was so, so yummy! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Yay! We’re so pleased to hear how much you loved the lasagna! Thank you for such great feedback, Afton!
I’m a massive pasta lover, fresh is always better BUT….. you can’t tell this is gluten free and it’s an awesome recipe! Hits the mark every time and I’m thankful I came across your recipe. I find it easier to pre-boil the gluten free noodles (yes, even the no-bake kind). It makes a difference as long as you let them cool a bit before proceeding.
We’re so happy to hear how much you loved the lasagna, Sean! Thank you for sharing such positive feedback with us!
Can you prep/assemble and freeze and bake another day?
Hi Trish, we recommend only prepping this recipe up to 1 day in advance. Any longer than that and the noodles won’t hold up well. Thank you for your question!
Recipe was very good, tasty. I’ll add more spice next time , noodles seemed a bit gummy as I made the dish mid day and waited til dinner to cook. Maybe that’s why. Couldn’t find Barilla.lasagna noodles, found Rizopia Brown Rice Pasta,/ lasagna oven ready .
Hi Peg, we’re so glad you loved the recipe and we hope your next batch is even better! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us!
Husband Loved it who is not overly fond of lasagna – a convert me thinks – didn’t buy prepackaged mozzarella I found a great brand and grated it and also really good Parmesan
And the other cheeses – flavours were intensified – a Winner
Hi Lana, thank you for this kind feedback! We’re so happy to hear both you and your husband loved the lasagna so much!
We loved it
Made it as directed and was not disappointed.
Froze some to enjoy at a later time.
Yay! We’re so happy to hear you all loved the recipe, Suzan! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us!